If you’re already in college, you already know, and if you’re a high school student, you’re sure to find out, that college students will try just about anything to save money. The time that you spend in college will probably be one of the more financially difficult times of your life; because of this, you’ll be looking for ways to save money, too. Try not to get roped into your friends’ harebrained strategies—just take some of the following advice.

One of the most expensive purchases that you’ll have to make on a regular basis is your books for the semester. It’s not uncommon to spend several hundred dollars on your books; certain degrees often require up to $500 in books. Buying books can be a great opportunity to save some cash. By buying used books, you can often cut your costs in half. Most university bookstores buy books back at the end of the semester and re-sell them; sell your books back, then buy used books, and you’ll end up saving a lot over your four years. Amazon.com and Craigslist are also good places to find used books. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can be used to set up book exchanges where you can give someone one of your old books in exchange for one of theirs.

Changing your food buying habits can be one of the best ways to save money in college. If you have roommates, buy groceries in bulk and split the bill—getting a membership at Costco or another discount bulk store can pay off very quickly if you split it between several people. Make your own food as often as possible—frozen pizza doesn’t count. If you spend a couple hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon preparing a large amount of food, you can put it in containers, freeze them, and microwave them for meals during the week. Things like stews, chilies, hot dishes, and stir-fries are great for this. If you buy ingredients and make food in bulk instead of going out to eat or buying pre-prepared foods, you’ll save a significant amount of money.

The cost of living can be very high on and near college campuses. Many universities require that students live on campus for their first year of classes, but after that, you can do whatever you’d like. When this becomes an option, it’s often worth looking into an apartment or a house. Houses tend to be cheaper, because you can split rent between more people; some houses are large enough for five to six people to live in. Even if you have to drive to campus to get to your classes, you may find that this is one of the more effective ways to save money on room and board. Remember to factor in things like utilities, gas money, and time spent in travel between your house and campus; these can have a major impact on whether or not it will be worth it to rent. If none of your friends dig the idea of moving into a house, you can use social networking sites (and local newspapers) to find other students looking for roommates.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com